Tokyo, 31 March 2008 – Japanese superstar Utada Hikaru’s new album HEART STATION, which debuted at #1 on the current official Japanese Oricon album chart, was today confirmed to have sold 480,000 units in its first week, more than any other studio album this year. HEART STATION is Utada’s sixth consecutive release to debut at #1: all her previous four albums plus a singles collection entered the Oricon chart in the top spot, making her the equal third most successful artist of all time when it comes to total #1 chart debuts in Japan.

Released on 19 March, HEART STATION is Utada Hikaru’s 5th studio album and her first in a year and 9 months. It has currently shipped more than 900,000 copies. The album contains 13 songs including the smash hit song Flavor of Life which has sold over 7.5 million downloads since its release last year and has been confirmed by IFPI as the second biggest selling digital single worldwide in 2007.

To further increase awareness of Utada’s new music EMI Music Japan have arranged a number of film, TV and advertising tie-ins. One song, Prisoner of Love, will be the theme to major upcoming TV drama ‘Last Friends’ which will debut on the Fuji Television Network in April, while Fight The Blues will be the theme song for Tokyo Broadcasting System Television’s news programme ‘Houdou Tokushu NEXT’.

HEART STATION will be released in Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Canada, Taiwan and China over the coming weeks.

Utada’s debut album First Love has to date shipped more than 9.9 million units worldwide and holds the record for the best selling album of all time in Japan.